US intelligence reports no foreign interference in presidential election detected
US authorities report that they have not observed any efforts by foreign entities to directly manipulate the forthcoming presidential election. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Officials from the FBI and two other agencies assert that Russia, China, and Iran are attempting to incite discord among voters.
Representatives from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation report that U.S. authorities have not identified any attempts by foreign actors to directly interfere in the upcoming presidential election. However, intelligence officials contend that these nations are trying to influence public opinion and create divisions within American society.
In the wake of the 2016 and 2020 elections, U.S. intelligence agencies consistently claimed that Moscow was employing hackers and engaging in “information warfare” to sway the vote in favor of Donald Trump. These allegations, however, have not been substantiated; a 2019 report from Special Counsel Robert Mueller found them to be unfounded.
During a multi-agency press briefing held in Washington D.C. on Friday, an unnamed representative of the ODNI stated, “We have not observed any foreign actors seeking to interfere in the conduct of the 2024 elections.” The official further explained, “Instead of interference, the IC assesses adversaries so far are focused on using information operations and propaganda to try to shape voter preferences or undermine confidence in the election.”
In the past, when making similar assertions, U.S. authorities have often failed to clarify what they mean by disinformation when accusing Russia, Iran, and China. These three nations are identified as the primary countries attempting to “exacerbate divisions in U.S. society for their own benefit.” The ODNI representative also mentioned several other countries that “are considering activities that at minimum test the boundaries of election influence,” but did not specify which countries.
Moscow was highlighted as the “pre-eminent and most active foreign influence threat to this year’s U.S. elections.” Regarding Iran, the intelligence agency believes it is “making a greater effort than in the past to influence this year’s elections,” aiming to “stoke discord and undermine confidence in our electoral process.” Conversely, U.S. authorities characterize China as being more “focused on influencing down-ballot races” at state and local levels, alleging that Beijing seeks to “counter U.S. politicians viewed as anti-China and to support others viewed as pro-China.”
Earlier this week, the U.S. government enacted sanctions against two RT employees for their purported role in spreading video clips that incited “discord and division” within the country. In response to similar accusations made in July, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov dismissed them as “absurd.” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova asserted at that time that Russia does not engage in meddling in the internal affairs of sovereign nations. Both China and Iran have similarly rejected previous American claims.
Rohan Mehta contributed to this report for TROIB News
Representatives from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation report that U.S. authorities have not identified any attempts by foreign actors to directly interfere in the upcoming presidential election. However, intelligence officials contend that these nations are trying to influence public opinion and create divisions within American society.
In the wake of the 2016 and 2020 elections, U.S. intelligence agencies consistently claimed that Moscow was employing hackers and engaging in “information warfare” to sway the vote in favor of Donald Trump. These allegations, however, have not been substantiated; a 2019 report from Special Counsel Robert Mueller found them to be unfounded.
During a multi-agency press briefing held in Washington D.C. on Friday, an unnamed representative of the ODNI stated, “We have not observed any foreign actors seeking to interfere in the conduct of the 2024 elections.” The official further explained, “Instead of interference, the IC assesses adversaries so far are focused on using information operations and propaganda to try to shape voter preferences or undermine confidence in the election.”
In the past, when making similar assertions, U.S. authorities have often failed to clarify what they mean by disinformation when accusing Russia, Iran, and China. These three nations are identified as the primary countries attempting to “exacerbate divisions in U.S. society for their own benefit.” The ODNI representative also mentioned several other countries that “are considering activities that at minimum test the boundaries of election influence,” but did not specify which countries.
Moscow was highlighted as the “pre-eminent and most active foreign influence threat to this year’s U.S. elections.” Regarding Iran, the intelligence agency believes it is “making a greater effort than in the past to influence this year’s elections,” aiming to “stoke discord and undermine confidence in our electoral process.” Conversely, U.S. authorities characterize China as being more “focused on influencing down-ballot races” at state and local levels, alleging that Beijing seeks to “counter U.S. politicians viewed as anti-China and to support others viewed as pro-China.”
Earlier this week, the U.S. government enacted sanctions against two RT employees for their purported role in spreading video clips that incited “discord and division” within the country. In response to similar accusations made in July, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov dismissed them as “absurd.” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova asserted at that time that Russia does not engage in meddling in the internal affairs of sovereign nations. Both China and Iran have similarly rejected previous American claims.
Rohan Mehta contributed to this report for TROIB News
